HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Omega 3 comparable in effect to RT on breast cancer Trial result

11-17-2005, 01:57 PM

Do you know where I can find the nurses study?

Was it based on tissue analysis or reported dietary habits, adipoise or breast? Did it look at the reported main factor - omega six excess, and the balance to omega three or simply overall consumption. If it was based on reports of diet did it take into accout all the hidden sources of omega sixes processed food, etc? I have doubts as to the reliability of trials based on reported diet factors unless strictly controlled which is in real life an impractical burden over a significant time frame.

I attach another couple of interesting excerpts below which puts things much better than I can. One item was based on tissue biopsies in humans which is I suggest inherently a much more tenable basis than reported diet, as it factually reflects diet over time 3 months plus for breast and years for adipose fat.

At a purely amateur perspective I have spent several months, and often several hours a day on the net looking at all I can get hold of on the subject, and make a prediction that in ten years or less consumption of high omega six oils will attract the same intensity of debate in relation to general health as alcohol (and although much less comparable but probably likewise bound to matters of individual freedoms, and pressures from industry and commerce - smoking).

RB

"Omega-3 fatty acids and breast cancer
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. Dr. William Cave, MD of the University of Rochester School of Medicine presents an overview of the current knowledge regarding the relationship between dietary intake of essential fatty acids and breast cancer. Dr. Cave reviews the experimental evidence (mostly based on animal tests) supporting the contention that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids promote tumor formation while omega-3 acids retard tumor development. A particularly interesting observation is the finding that rats fed a diet containing 20% coconut oil, butter or tallow had half the number of breast tumors than did rats fed a diet containing equivalent amounts of cottonseed oil, sunflower seed oil or corn oil (all high in omega-6 content). However, when as little as 3% of the coconut oil was replaced by sunflower seed oil the number of tumors increased to equal that obtained with 20% sunflower seed oil alone. This indicates that there is a certain, fairly low, level of omega-6 fatty acids which will lead to increased tumor formation irrespective of the composition of the rest of the diet. Animal experiments have also shown that fish oils are highly effective in preventing the development and progression of breast tumors and can diminish the metastatic spread of breast cancer. Dr. Cave concludes that changes in dietary fat composition can significantly affect breast cancer development and suggests the differences in eisosanoid metabolism induced by the two essential fatty acid families (omega-3 and omega-6) may be an important factor.
Cave, William T., Jr. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and breast cancer. Nutrition (Supplement), Vol. 12, No. 1, 1996, pp. S39-S42

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=news&dbid=49
ABSTRACT
Researchers examined the fatty acid composition in breast tissue from 241 patients with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer and from 88 patients with benign breast disease, in a case-control study in Tours, central France. (In a case-control study, researchers try to match individuals in one group with individuals in another group who are comparable in all important respects except for the one being studied.)
Biopsies of breast fatty tissue were obtained at the time of surgery, and the types of fat found in the women’s breast tissue were used to identify their past dietary intake of fatty acids. After the researchers took into account factors such as age, height, menopausal status and body mass index, they found a significant inverse association between breast cancer-risk and the levels of omega-3 fatty acid in breast tissue. Women who had the highest levels of alpha-linolenic acid had a 61% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels of this omega-3 fat. Similarly, women with the highest levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had a 69% lower risk compared to women with the lowest levels of DHA.
Overall, women who had the lowest ratio of omega-6

mega-3 fats (the most omega-3 fat in comparison to their levels of omega-6 fats) were found to have a 67% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women with the least omega-3s. The researchers believe this data suggests that omega-3 fats play a protective role against breast cancer and that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids plays an important role: the lower the ratio, the lower a woman’s risk for breast cancer."

11-17-2005, 01:57 PM	#5
Unregistered Guest Posts: n/a	Re Nurses Study / Additional links Do you know where I can find the nurses study? Was it based on tissue analysis or reported dietary habits, adipoise or breast? Did it look at the reported main factor - omega six excess, and the balance to omega three or simply overall consumption. If it was based on reports of diet did it take into accout all the hidden sources of omega sixes processed food, etc? I have doubts as to the reliability of trials based on reported diet factors unless strictly controlled which is in real life an impractical burden over a significant time frame. I attach another couple of interesting excerpts below which puts things much better than I can. One item was based on tissue biopsies in humans which is I suggest inherently a much more tenable basis than reported diet, as it factually reflects diet over time 3 months plus for breast and years for adipose fat. At a purely amateur perspective I have spent several months, and often several hours a day on the net looking at all I can get hold of on the subject, and make a prediction that in ten years or less consumption of high omega six oils will attract the same intensity of debate in relation to general health as alcohol (and although much less comparable but probably likewise bound to matters of individual freedoms, and pressures from industry and commerce - smoking). RB "Omega-3 fatty acids and breast cancer ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. Dr. William Cave, MD of the University of Rochester School of Medicine presents an overview of the current knowledge regarding the relationship between dietary intake of essential fatty acids and breast cancer. Dr. Cave reviews the experimental evidence (mostly based on animal tests) supporting the contention that omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids promote tumor formation while omega-3 acids retard tumor development. A particularly interesting observation is the finding that rats fed a diet containing 20% coconut oil, butter or tallow had half the number of breast tumors than did rats fed a diet containing equivalent amounts of cottonseed oil, sunflower seed oil or corn oil (all high in omega-6 content). However, when as little as 3% of the coconut oil was replaced by sunflower seed oil the number of tumors increased to equal that obtained with 20% sunflower seed oil alone. This indicates that there is a certain, fairly low, level of omega-6 fatty acids which will lead to increased tumor formation irrespective of the composition of the rest of the diet. Animal experiments have also shown that fish oils are highly effective in preventing the development and progression of breast tumors and can diminish the metastatic spread of breast cancer. Dr. Cave concludes that changes in dietary fat composition can significantly affect breast cancer development and suggests the differences in eisosanoid metabolism induced by the two essential fatty acid families (omega-3 and omega-6) may be an important factor. Cave, William T., Jr. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and breast cancer. Nutrition (Supplement), Vol. 12, No. 1, 1996, pp. S39-S42 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=news&dbid=49 ABSTRACT Researchers examined the fatty acid composition in breast tissue from 241 patients with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer and from 88 patients with benign breast disease, in a case-control study in Tours, central France. (In a case-control study, researchers try to match individuals in one group with individuals in another group who are comparable in all important respects except for the one being studied.) Biopsies of breast fatty tissue were obtained at the time of surgery, and the types of fat found in the women’s breast tissue were used to identify their past dietary intake of fatty acids. After the researchers took into account factors such as age, height, menopausal status and body mass index, they found a significant inverse association between breast cancer-risk and the levels of omega-3 fatty acid in breast tissue. Women who had the highest levels of alpha-linolenic acid had a 61% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women with the lowest levels of this omega-3 fat. Similarly, women with the highest levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had a 69% lower risk compared to women with the lowest levels of DHA. Overall, women who had the lowest ratio of omega-6mega-3 fats (the most omega-3 fat in comparison to their levels of omega-6 fats) were found to have a 67% lower risk of breast cancer compared to women with the least omega-3s. The researchers believe this data suggests that omega-3 fats play a protective role against breast cancer and that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids plays an important role: the lower the ratio, the lower a woman’s risk for breast cancer."